John henry player



No. 6I8,583. Patented Jan. 31, I899. J. H. &. W. D. PLAYER.

SPOKE TIGHTENER.

(Application filed Feb. 24, 1898.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE.

JOHN HENRY PLAYER, OF COVENTRY, AND lVlLLIAM DREDGE PLAYER, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

SPOKE-TIGHTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,583, dated anuary 31, 1899.

Application filed February 24, 1898- Serial No. 671,475. (No model.)

enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention has for its object improvements in and connected with hand and machine tools by which we are enabled when using our tool for tightening up spokes to indicate when sufficient tension has been put upon each spoke in building up a wheel or when sufficient tension has been put upon a drill, tap, or the like.

In order that our invention may be clearly understood and easily carried into practical effect, we have appended hereunto examples of our tool.

Figure 1 is a plan View of our tool complete. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the sides of the case removed. Fig. 3 is a partsectional View of Fig. 2. Fig. i is an end View of Fig. 2 with the sides of the case fixed in position. Fig. 5 is an internal view of the tension portion of our tool.

In carrying our invention into practice we form the frame or case A, in one end of which we mount the spindle B in the cone-bearing b, and on the inner end I) of this spindle, which is formed conical, we mount the bevel-. wheel W, provided with the adjustable conical bearing w, in which the coned end of the spindle fits. This wheel is also formed with the flange 20 in which we fix the end 8 of the spring S. The other end 8 bears against the eccentric or cam b formed on or attached to the spindle. over the flange 10, and this cap or cover is formed with a conical hole which. takes its bearing on the cone d,fixed 011 the spindle immediately above the eccentric 5 by which means the spindle and wheel are secured together. W'e now mount the bevel-wheel W We then fix the cap or cover D- on the tube or sleeve E, which gears with the bevel-wheel XV, and this tube or sleeve,which is formed with the conical bearing e at one end, is mounted in the frame or case at or aboutright angles to the spindle B and is held in position by the collar e which is fixed at the other end by screws or otherwise. The slot F is cut or formed along the length of this tube and also in the spur-wheel W and corresponding slots f, f and f are cut or formed in the edges of the sides of the frame or case and in the collar e The coned end of the tube or sleeve E is formed solid, and in the center of this end we form the square hole a with the slot 6 which communicates with the slot F. The distance-piecesor collars J and J are provided so as to keep the various parts in position, and the lock-nuts 7' and j which screw onto the spindle, hold the parts together.

The modus operandi is as follows: To

tighten up a spoke, the tool is passed onto the spoke by means of the slot F, so that the tube or sleeve E surrounds a portion of the spoke. The tool is then moved until the nipple enters the hole 6 The spindle is now revolved by attaching a flexible shaft to the end 12 or the spindle may be revolved by a hand-wheel fixed to this end of the spindle or by other means, thus causing the two spur-wheels to revolve also, and consequently the sleeve or tube E and the spoke-nipple, by which means the spoke is tightened up, and as soon as suf ficient tension has been put upon the spoke the strain on the spindle overcomes the tension of the spring S,which measures and limits the strain put upon each spoke and which bears against the cam 12 thus allowing the coned end 11 of the spindle to revolve in its bearing w and the bevel-wheels W and W to remain stationary, thereby indicating to the operator that sufficient tension has been put upon the spoke. It will be evident that the spring which measures and limits the amount of tension to be put upon the spoke may be of various shapes and may be placed in any position between the driving medium and the part which grips the nipple by suit ably arranging the various working parts and also that the holding mediumE maybe driven by other means instead of bevel wheels. Fixed in the interior of the frame or case is the spring-catch H, which is set at an angle and which serves as a stop-piece for the peg or projection h, which is secured to the tube or sleeve in such a position that when this tube or sleeve is revolved in one direction the stop h comes in contact with the spring-catch H when the slot F is exactly opposite the slots I o f, f and f thus indicating when all the slots are opposite or in a line to enable the tool to be withdrawn; but when the tool is revolved in the reverse direction this stop 72, slides over the spring-catch H.

It will be evident that we may use ball-bearings in place of cone-bearings and that our tool may with equal advantage be used for other purposes-such, for instance, as measuring and limiting when a certain tension has been put upon drills, taps, bits, or the 1ikeby slightly modifying its construction.

hat we claim, then, is-

I 1. The spoke-tightening device herein set forth and shown consisting of a nipple holder or spanner driven by a train of wheels or their equivalents from any convenient drivingspindle B whether driven by hand or power but having a spring S or its equivalent interposed between the power applied and the nipple-holder for the purpose of measuring and limiting the strain put upon each spoke as the nipple is screwed up.

2. A hand or machine tool for tightening spokes comprising the case or frame A the spindle B with its bevel-wheel W and the limiting or measuring spring S, the tube or sleeve E with its corresponding wheel XV all operated in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein set forth and as shown upon the drawings.

3. A spoke-tightening device, consisting of a frame having lateral slots, a rotary nipple holder or spanner having a lateral slot, the train of wheels for driving the same, and the spring in the driving connections for limiting the strain put upon each spoke as the nipple is screwed up, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN HENRY PLAYER. "WILLIAM DREDGE PLAYER. Vitnesses v GEORGE LESTER, ERNEST NYER. 

